1968 Boston Celtics

Red Auerbach had handed the bench to Russell, who kept playing center while calling the rotations. Boston went 54-28 and finished behind the 62-20 76ers, the same Philadelphia team that had dethroned them the year before.

John Havlicek led the scoring at better than 20 a game, and Bailey Howell gave them a reliable second option up front. Sam Jones still produced in the backcourt, and Larry Siegfried ran the offense. Russell's value never showed up cleanly in a box score, but the defense did.

The rematch with Philadelphia turned the season. Down 3-1, the Celtics won three in a row, the last 100-96 in Philadelphia, becoming the first NBA team to climb out of a 3-1 hole in a best-of-seven. The Finals against the Lakers went six games.

No Finals MVP was awarded in 1968. The lasting note is the coaching arrangement: Russell remains one of the few player-coaches to win it all, and he did it twice.